Monday 30 September 2013

The Megablitz archive - poll results

The polls are closed and the results are in!  33 of you voted - a modest 19.3% of followers - and the results are reproduced below.  Most have left any decision making to me (never a wise choice) so I will post material in my usual haphazard fashion.  Or I may try to roll it out in a vaguely chronological order.
Anyway, enough of this - all blog posts need at least one photo, so here is one of the mobile polling station used to count the votes.

Kick in the Door ('97)
  2 (6%)
 
Kick in the Door ('98)
  1 (3%)
 
Tunis ('99)
  1 (3%)
 
Tunis ('00)
  0 (0%)
Market Garden ('05)
  1 (3%)
 
Market Garden ('06)
  6 (18%)
 
Tunis ('07)
  1 (3%)
 
Sicily ('08)
  0 (0%)
KlPzBefWg
  2 (6%)
 
Not fussed - just get it all posted!
  18 (54%)
 
Don't care - I just live for internet polls
  1 (3%)
 

Votes so far: 33
Poll closed 

Thursday 26 September 2013

Armoured Train progress - 3

The gun wagon for my O Gauge train is now complete.  Here it is being crewed by gunners from my 1/32 scale Naval Brigade.  They get around, don't they?



Vijay revisited

A few weeks ago I ran Bob Cordery's Operation Vijay game at the Sheffield Club.  Five players attended (of whom more later).  Bob had lent me all the maps and briefings for the game - the toys are all mine anyway!
The Indian team took the decision to have their army units advance in a single column - in contrast to the three-pronged approach adopted at COW in July!  The Air Force was sent in to bomb the radio station and a crucial bridge.  Sadly they couldn't find the former and missed the latter.  Naval vessels had a worrying encounter with a Portuguese gunboat but fog soon ended the indecisive action.
The Indian Navy landed a shore party which was beaten back by Portuguese troops, but heavy naval gunfire soon discouraged further resistance (and levelled much of the capital...)
 The first land encounter - Portuguese armoured cavalry acting as a 'speed bump.'
The IAF was soon back in action in support of the Army - I confess to some disappointment when there was no friendly fire!
Superior Indian force soon prevailed but not quite in time to prevent a UN resolution.
Martin reprises his role as the Governor General.
The pride of the Indian armed forces - John, Mark, Pete (who had made a special journey from darkest Huddersfield for the game) and Jerry.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 3

The battle continues - still impartially observed by Captain Widdrington.  He seemed equally appalled at the antics of both sides.  Seldom has he seen such atrocities.
Vulgarian artillery continued it's barrage - a stray (or well aimed?) round landing just behind the SHS general's car!  Several already wounded casualties were soon put out of their misery.
SHS nurses were sent to remonstrate with the gunners...
...but their attention (and gun sight) was focused on the large wagon with the aiming point helpfully painted on the side!
(Another) confused melee was soon under way in the woods as the VG infantry were taken roughly from behind by SHS lancers!
Luckily for the nurses, when confronted with an easy target the VG gunners were spectacularly incompetent - the matchstick passed neatly between them!
While the nurses tried to put the gunners off, more SHS wounded were carried to possible safety.

The SHS lancers bore down on the VG infantry - who were already fighting SHS infantry...
...and casualties on both sides were many.
At this point, and having retrieved his car, the Vulgarian CO decided to offer the SHS troops safe passage to their homeland.  Totting up the scores revealed the game to have been a Vulgarian victory, but given the frighteningly high casualty rates it might be argued that - as in real war - there were no winners.

The weakened state of both Vulgaria and Svenhasselstein has not passed un-noticed by certain of their neighbours.....

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 2

We return to the action to fund that a Vulgarian cavalry regiment, accompanied by a light gun has appeared at point 4 (see map in the previous post).  Predictable, they appeared behind a SHS infantry regiment!
Meanwhile on the other side of the table confusion and carnage reigns.  Here, you may recall, two VG infantry regiments had appeared, followed by SHS infantry and finally a VG cavalry regiment.  The problem was soon bloodily resolved and bodies (mostly SHS) littered the field.

The VG lancers who appeared at point 4 charged off towards their captured car and after a brief and rather one-sided struggle, regained possession thereof.
The VG gunners entertained themselves by firing into the SHS rear.  Ooh, nasty!
Watched by Captain Widdrington the VG reserves were flung across the pontoon bridge.
The SHS commander still engrossed in his newspaper while wounded soldiers and nurses are rounded up to push his car to safety.
Captured nurses were searched carefully in case they were really Svenhasselsteiner special forces.
Taking infantry fire from the front and artillery in the rear, the SHS infantry by the bridge were under considerable pressure!
An overview of the situation.  Confused?   Yes, so were we....
Unable to figure out how it works, the VG lancers drag the car to safety.

Will the Vulgarian car be saved?
Will the SHS general finish the crossword?
Will Captain Widdrington fall in the river?

At least one of these questions will be answered in the next and (thankfully) final instalment!

Monday 23 September 2013

Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 1

This was a Funny Little Wars game played at the Sheffield club on 18 September.  Martin led his Vulgarians (VG hereafter), assisted by John while Steve commanded his Svenhasselsteiners (SHS). The players were each issued with a map and briefing as below:
The map is reproduced by kind permission of the Cartographic Section of the Forbodian Army.
What they're doing with maps of the Vulgarian/Svenhasselstein  border area has yet to be revealed....

Svenhasselsteiner briefing
Following a successful but far from casualty-free raid into Vulgaria, the Svenhasselsteiner forces are making their way back home by way of a pontoon bridge built by their engineers.
Your aim is to safely exit your forces from point 5.
Points will be scored for troops making it to safety as follows:
Infantry                                               1
Gunners/cavalry/engineers                  2
For an officer                                      3
Gun                                                     5
Car                                                      10

Forces:
Brigade HQ with motor car, a captured Vulgarian car and a column of walking wounded  - enters on the road at point 3
3 Infantry Regiments (10)  enter randomly.  For each Regt, roll a D6 for entry point.  On a 6 they don’t arrive.
1 Cavalry Regiment (6)  - enters at point 3 on turn D6

2 guns – roll as per the infantry for location.

Vulgarian briefing
Following a successful but far from casualty-free raid into Vulgaria, the Svenhasselsteiner forces are making their way back home by way of a pontoon bridge built by their engineers.
You are to inflict casualties on the column and retrieve the General’s car which was stolen by the enemy during the raid.  Or capture an enemy car.  ‘Capture’ involves getting it off the table at point 3.
Points will be scored as follows:
For each enemy infantryman killed    1
Gunners/cavalry/engineers                  2
For an officer                                      3
Capturing a gun                                  5
Capturing a car                                    10

Forces:
Brigade HQ  enters anywhere
3 Infantry Regiments (10)  enter from points 1, 2, 4 or 5 – your choice
2 Cavalry Regiments (6)  enter randomly.  For each Regt, roll D6 for turn no, then D6 for entry point.  On a 6 they don’t arrive.
2 guns – 1 with an IR and the second with a Cav Regt.
The SHS column trudges homeward.  The white motor car is the one they pinched from outside the Vulgarian HQ.

Unconcerned with the suffering of his men, the SHS General checks up on his share prices.
The SHS troops had left behind them many small bits of plastic....
Present as a neutral observer was none other then Captain Widdrington - seen here accepting an offer to visit Svenhasselstein.
While the local vicar (centre) muses on man's inhumanity to plastic (he's a portly metal chap himself), who is that appearing in the distance?
Vulgarians!  Thousands of 'em!*
At this inopportune moment the SHS general's car ran out of petrol  A team was hastily assembled to push it.
The VGs came on in the same old way.  These chaps are on the other side of the river.
The captured car is driven round the traffic jam.
Meanwhile more SHS troops had arrived - including a gun.
I say, who is that handsome chap looking thoughtful in the background?
The CG general urges his cannon fodder valued troops forward.
Even soem VG cavalry showed up - behind the SHS infantry!
Capt. Widdrington watches the battle unfold with increasing horror.
SHS lancers prepare to charge.
A confused** fight develops near Point 1 on the map.  VG infantry have appeared, followed by SHS infantry, followed by VG cavalry!
The VG chaps soon saw off this particular enemy unit - but at a cost.  What would happen next?

* Depending on the figure scale.
** Or maybe that was just me.